Improvement in water-wheels



"C. CHALFANT. WATER-WHEEL.

-No.171,7-75. Y Pat-'e'nted 1 4, 1876.

I N. PETERS. PHOTO-L THOGRAFHER WASHINGTON D UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLOUD OHALFANT, OF PENNINGTONVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN WATER-WHEELS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 171,775, dated January 4,1876; application filed November 22, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLOUD OHALFANT, of Penningtonville, in the county of Chester and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved 'Water-Wheel; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved wheel; Fig. 2, a different side elevation with part of the case brokenout. Fig. 3, Sheet 2, is a sectional elevation of the wheel proper; Fig. 4, a plan view of the wheel with the buckets attached.

This invention is an improvement in the class of horizontal outward-flow water-wheels. The improvement consists chiefly in providing the wheel with vertically rising and falling buckets, and in adapting the wheel to be raised or wheel-case to be lowered, as and for the purposes hereinafter set forth.

The circular wheel-case A is provided with the usual form of induction -passage B, having a vertically-adjustable gate, 0, and its rim or side is cut away at a to allow a free lateralor outward discharge of the water. The wheel proper, D, is keyed fast on the vertical shaft E, and provided with a rim or flange,

b, which extends horizontally from the base or lower edge of the vertical side 0 of the wheel. This rim or flange constitutes the floor of the circular water-passage formed between the parallel sides of the wheel and wheel-case.

The buckets F are arranged to slide in vertical dovetail grooves formed in the side 0 of the wheel and in brackets, or downward extension d thereof. The horizontal flangeb is slotted radially, as shown, Fig. 4, to accommodate the buckets, and furnish a suitable support for them while being acted on by the water. The buckets are caused to rise into the circular space or passage, between the wheel and wheel-case, by their lower ends riding up the incline of a circular way, G, which terminates abruptly at f, contiguous to the point where the side of the wheel-case is cut away.

It will be perceived that, as the buckets move up the incline, they gradually close the circular passage, and thus receive the full force or impact of the water as it enters through the chute, or induction passage. This raised position of the buckets is maintained till the termination f of the way G allows them to fall by their own gravity, when the water will escape through the opening in the side of the wheel-case. Friction may prevent the buckets falling as quickly as desirable, and hence I provide the cam or incline H to force them down.

A gate, I, is located adjacent to the lower end of cam H to keep the water from taking a backward motion in the induction-passage B. The shaft E of the wheel passes through a hub formed at the center of the cross or frame K, upon which the case A is rigidly supported. The end of the shaft is stepped in a block projecting up into the hub from a lever, L, which is pivoted to the frame K at one end, and is made vertically adjustable at the other by means of a rod, g, and nut h, as shown.

This construction and arrangement of parts enables the wheel D to be raised or lowered at will, thereby correspondingly diminishing or increasing the depth of the circular waterpassage without cutting off or in any way atfecting the" supply or access of Water to the wheel, whereas in wheels of the ordinary construction the only means of regulating the quantity of water, as Well as the speed of the wheels, is to adjust the gate of the flume or induction-passage. It is evident that by so much as the cubical capacity of the circular passage is diminished by raising the wheel, the weight of the body of Water to be supported by the wheel during its rotation is correspondingly reduced, so that the friction and wear are not so great as when the wheel is receiving and discharging at its full capacity.

1 do not restrict myself to the vertical adjustment of the wheel proper, since it may be made stationary, and the ca se adapted for adjustment instead. Nor do I restrict myself to the precise means above described for adjusting the wheel, it being evident that various other devices may be substituted.

What I claim is- 1. The combination with the wheel, having the horizontal slotted rim or base flange, of

the buckets F, and the circular way G, located beneath said wheehand arranged to support the buckets, as shown and described.

2. The combination of the Wheel D, Wheelcase A, and adjusting devices, as shown and described, whereby the wheel or wheel-case may be adjusted vertically to increase or diminish the capacity of the circular water-passage, as set forth.

OLOUD GHALFANT. Witnesses:

JOHN A. REYNOLDS, R. L. RAMSEY. 

